bandman

I had a trumpet student about 20 years ago who showed great promise. The child was from a very poor home and could not afford a nice horn. I came across a Bach Strad in not very good condition. I bought the horn for under $100, fixed it up myself, and gave it to the kid to use, telling him to keep it as long as he played, but if he ever stopped playing to bring it back and I'd find someone else to use it.

The years went by and the young man used it in high school, then in college on music scholarship, and like most people graduated and started his own life. He still had the horn, considered it to be his, and went about becoming a successful person.

He moved from one home to another several months ago, and he looked at the horn sitting in a room in his house and thought he really needed to return it, but in his heart he wanted to keep it, after all it had become sentimentally his horn.

He went to the local music store and asked them how much that horn would have been worth in 1985? The guy at the store asked why and he told him the story, and then told him how much a horn like that sells for today.

Well, he came by and told me how bad he felt about never returning the horn, and he gave me an envelope and asked if I would accept that instead of the horn. In the envelope was a check for $2000. I caught up with his history, appreciated how well he had done, and told him that his great story was thanks enough but he insisted on giving me the money.

After Hurricane Katrina I heard about several families in New Orleans that had children in band lost everything they owned, either from the storm, the floods, or from looters. I gave the check to a friend of mine who works in one of the music programs in New Orleans who said she would make sure it went to good use.

Today she called me to let me know that she had purchased 10 good used instruments with that $2000, and they are all in the hands of students who lost their instruments because of Katrina. When delivering the horns to the families she told them the story about where the money had come from to buy them, and that she hoped that someday they will help someone else in a similar manner.

Needless to say I was thrilled! That is 10 times the investment I made in giving that horn to one child! Now because of that one horn 10 more will be able to experience music in their school life. Hopefully someday those children will grow up to become supporters of music programs and the chain will continue. I’d say that the money I spent many years ago was a great investment!

gzent

That is a great story!

wrbandel

Bandman,

What a great story, thanks for sharing.

Warren

Dave Mickley

good story - isn't it amazing how a good deed grows,even if it takes awhile.
Dave

cornetguy

great story. i hope those kids that got instruments do really well.